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Triethylamine
May 1994
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations (IDLH)
CAS number: 121–44–8
NIOSH REL: The 1989 OSHA PEL may not be protective to workers.
Current OSHA PEL: 25 ppm (100 mg/m3) TWA
1989 OSHA PEL: 10 ppm (40 mg/m3) TWA, 15 ppm (60 mg/m3) STEL
1993-1994 ACGIH TLV: 5 ppm (12 mg/m3) TWA, 15 ppm (36 mg/m3) STEL
Description of substance: Colorless liquid with a strong, ammonia-like odor.
LEL: . . 1.2% (10% LEL, 1,200 ppm)
Original (SCP) IDLH: 1,000 ppm
Basis for original (SCP) IDLH: The chosen IDLH is based on the UCC [1970] report that a 4-hour exposure to 1,000 ppm killed 1 of 6 rats.
Short-term exposure guidelines: None developed
ACUTE TOXICITY DATA:
Lethal concentration data:
| Species | Reference | LC50(ppm) | LCLo(ppm) | Time | Adjusted 0.5-hrLC (CF) | Derived value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G. pig | Carpenter et al. 1948 | LC33: 1,000 | —– | 4 hr | 2,000 ppm (2.0) | 200 ppm |
| Mouse | Izmerov et al. 1982 | —– | 1,425 | 2 hr | 2,280 ppm (1.6) | 228 ppm |
| Rat | Smyth et al. 1951 | LC17: 1,000 | —– | 4 hr | 2,000 ppm (2.0) | 200 ppm |
Other animal data: RD50 (mouse), 184 ppm [Nielsen and Yamagiwa 1989].
Human data: None relevant for use in determining the revised IDLH.
| Revised IDLH: 200 ppmBasis for revised IDLH: The revised IDLH for triethylamine is 200 ppm based on acute inhalation toxicity data in animals [Carpenter et al. 1948; Izmerov et al. 1982; Nielsen and Yamagiwa 1989; Smyth et al. 1951]. This may be a conservative value due to the lack of acute inhalation toxicity data for workers. |
REFERENCES:
1. Carpenter CP, Smyth HF Jr, Shaffer CB [1948]. The acute toxicity of ethylene imine to small animals. J Ind Hyg Toxicol 30:2-6.
2. Izmerov NF, Sanotsky IV, Sidorov KK [1982]. Toxicometric parameters of industrial toxic chemicals under single exposure. Moscow, Russia: Centre of International Projects, GKNT, p. 115.
3. Nielsen GD, Yamagiwa M [1989]. Structure-activity relationships of airway irritating aliphatic amines. Receptor activation mechanisms and predicted industrial exposure limits. Chem Biol Interact 71(2-3):223-244.
4. Smyth HF Jr, Carpenter CP, Weil CS [1951]. Range-finding toxicity data: list IV. AMA Arch Ind Hyg Occup Med 4:119-122.
5. UCC [1970]. Toxicology studies: triethylamine. New York, NY: Union Carbide Corporation.